Auburn basketball dropped to 9-6 overall and 0-2 in conference play after falling to Texas A&M 90-88 in one of the most controversial endings you’ll ever see.
Prior to the Tigers’ game-winning shot being waved off at the end of regulation, Auburn started the second half with a 16-point lead and looked to be in the driver seat against the Aggies.
Texas A&M’s press defense forced three straight turnovers on Auburn, cutting the Tigers’ deficit from double digits to just five points in one minute.
That run ultimately gave the Aggies the edge for the remainder of the game, as they controlled their own destiny up until the final shot of the game.
Auburn coach Steven Pearl talked about his team’s second half meltdown and how three seconds of mistakes cost them their first conference victory.
“We let three seconds impact eight minutes of basketball. Think about that. You let three seconds impact eight minutes of basketball,” Pearl said. “Come on, man. You can’t do that. That’s part of growing; that’s part of learning. That’s just part of going through shit together. This team has been through a lot of shit together.”
AUBURN, ALABAMA – JANUARY 6: Steven Pearl head coach of Auburn Tigers instructs his team during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Neville Arena on January 6, 2026 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Stew Milne/Getty Images)Getty Images
“I think fatigue set in a little bit, and ultimately, that was the difference in the game right there. We just weren’t able to take care of the ball, and they made shots after we turned the ball over. They made us pay,” Pearl added.
Texas A&M drilled nine 3-pointers in the second half and shot nearly 60% from the floor in that half alone.
The Aggies scoring run saw them eventually take a double-digit lead late in the game. However, Auburn erased a 10-point deficit in the final three minutes of regulation.
KeShawn Murphy’s game-winning basket would have capped off an impressive finish for Auburn, but the shot was waved off after officials said he did not get the ball off in time.
“Got down 12 with 5:08 left and they just continue to battle and continue to fight back. They just don’t have a lot of quit in them,” Pearl said. “Really proud of that, but we’ve just got to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. We can only look within and only just be accountable for our mistakes against their pressure. That ultimately was what the difference in the game was.”
Despite Pearl not agreeing with the referees calling the Tigers’ potential game-winning 3-pointer no good, he is shifting his focus to this weekend’s game against the No. 15 Arkansas Razorbacks.
Sure enough, they made the decision that it was — I don’t know — it was on his fingertips. It’s devastating,” Pearl said. “I told the guys, ‘We have one choice. What else are we going to do? What the fuck else are we going to do? Are we going to sit here and just pout about it or are we just going to get on to the next one.’ I’m so excited to get here tomorrow morning and just start grinding again.”
The Tigers will host Arkansas on Saturday evening at 5 p.m., and the game will be televised on ESPN.